Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

All of the Whitebeard Pirate commanders had gathered to celebrate their captain’s birthday. “Happy birthday Pops!” Four people that none of the crew recognized had appeared in front of Whitebeard.

“Who the hell are you guys?” Haruta asked. “We’ve never seen you before,”

“Yes you have,” The three younger ones, all boys with blue wavy hair, a blue shirt, blue pants, and a blue jacket, claimed.

“Haruta is right,” Vista agreed with his fellow commander. “Who are you four?”

“Should we tell them-yoi?” Marco looked to Whitebeard.

“Shush Marky,” The eldest stranger, a man with white hair, white knee-high boots, white pants, a dark blue shirt, gloves, and a white blazer with golden shoulder guards, said. “I want to see how long until they realize who we are,”

“Don’t call me Marky,” Marco told him.

“Marco, Pops, you know these guys?” Ace asked.

“Of course they know us,” The triplets stated. “You all know us,”

“The oldest has white hair and those three have blue hair,” Namur noticed. “It matches the color scheme of the ships!”

“So they’re big fans of the Whitebeard Pirates?” Thatch questioned.

“We’re part of the crew too ya know!” The triplets pouted at not being recognized.

“Gurarara, you haven’t figured it out yet?” Whitebeard laughed.

“Here’s a hint,” The eldest smirked. “My name’s Moby. Those three are Tom, Keiko, and Tilikum,”

“Those are the names of our ships!” They started to piece together the puzzle.

“We’re the Klabautermann of the Whitebeard Pirates’ four ships,” Moby explained, climbing onto Whitebeard’s shoulder so he looked taller than everyone. “Now that that’s mystery solved, let’s continue partying! It’s Pop’s birthday after all!”

“Party! Party! Party!” Tom, Keiko, and Tilikum cheered. The three’s ship forms began to tilt side to side in excitement.

The crewmembers that were on the three ships held onto the railing and mast, trying to not be thrown overboard. “What’s going on with the ship!?” They were too far from the others and hadn’t heard the conversation about the Klabautermann.

“Keep those three away from the dessert tables or else you’ll have three ships acting as if they were in a storm and three Klabautermann running around hyper,” Moby warned.

“It’s time to cut the cake!” Thatch, with the help of a few other members, brought out a large cake with candles.

“CAKE!” The triplets cheered and ran towards the giant dessert.

“And we’re screwed,” Moby groaned. “Everyone on them are going to drown,”

“Gurarara!” Whitebeard laughed. “Just let them enjoy the cake. Everyone here knows how to swim and if a Devil Fruit user falls in, another crewmember will save them,”

XXX

“Great Eruption!” Akainu’s giant magma arm hit the chunk of ice that Jozu had thrown. The ice was vaporized. The large arm exploded, raining magma down on the battlefield.

One of the volcanic rocks hit Tilikum. Tilikum went into his Klabautermann form one last time. “Pops…” He was covered in severe burns and his voice was barely audible. “I’m sorry…” ‘I’m sorry…I wasn’t strong enough…to help you guys…’

“TILIKUM!” The other three ships’ Klabautermann manifested and they watched in horror as their brother was destroyed.

“Tilikum…” Whitebeard noticed one volcanic rock heading towards him and Moby Dick. His bisento pierced it and he blew out the flames. He did his best to keep his composure and smirked at Akainu. “Why don't you go light some candles on a birthday cake instead, magma-brat?” If he panicked, then the others would also.

“You don’t like flashy funerals, Whitebeard?” Akainu mocked.

“He killed my baby brother…” Moby growled. “That bastard!” He looked to the other two Klabautermann. “Keiko! Tom! We’re not going to stand here and let them kill our family!”

Whitebeard didn’t stop the three from taking weapons from the storage room and joining the rest of their brothers in dealing with the Marines on the frozen floor. Their rage would not be sated until Akainu was dead. Cannonballs were fired but the Whitebeard, Marco, Jozu, and Vista dealt with them before they reached the remaining ships.

XXX

“Meteor Volcano!” Akainu started firing several fists of magma into the air that began to hit the battlefield.

“KEIKO!” Moby and Tom screamed as the ship of their brother was hit. Keiko’s Klabautermann form started to disappear. Tom’s ship form was next. “TOM!”

Moby screamed in pain, his own ship form having taken a direct hit too. He staggered towards Whitebeard, still clinging onto life. “Pops…I don’t want to die…I want to continue sailing…with you…with Stefan…with Marky…with Fireball…with Fishy…with everyone…” He could hear the cries of his crew aboard.

“Put out the fire!”

“Hurry!”

“You have to hold on!”

 "Don’t let him sink!”

  “We're gonna travel the seas with our friends, and Ace, once more!"

  Tears fell as Moby struggled to reach Whitebeard. As he collapsed forward, Whitebeard rushed forward and caught him. “Moby…”

  “Pops…” Moby rasped, his body already becoming transparent. “Save…Ace…please…Save him…” He coughed up blood. “Save him…Save him…Save…him…”

  “Forgive me…” Whitebeard whispered. ‘I’m sorry Moby Dick…Tilikum…Keiko…Tom…’

  Moby forced a smile through the pain. “You…don’t need…to apologize…Just save…Ace…” His Klabautermann form faded completely.

  “I will…” Whitebeard promised, standing back up to face the battle.

  The Whitebeard Pirates couldn’t stop the magma and could only watch as the last ship was destroyed. “The Moby Dick…Damn it! Damn the Navy! He was our pride and joy!”

"Damn! They destroyed our ships! He carried the Whitebeard Pirates for decades!"

Chapter Text

Moby Dick sat on a cliff overlooking a sea in the realm of Afterlife. His white hair blew in the breeze and he let out a loud sigh. 

"Yo Moby!" Oro Jackson greeted as he approached with two large bottles of alcohol. "Why're you here all alone? I thought you'd be chilling with the rest of the Whitebeard Pirates here or at least hanging around Whitebeard himself,"

Moby glanced at him before looking back at the sea. "All of them died because of me,"

Oro paused mid-sip. He put the bottle down and grabbed Moby by the shoulders and forced him to face him. "No, you are not responsible for their deaths,"

"I should've been able to notice Teach attacking Thatch!" Moby snapped. "But I just had to have gone to sleep at the worst time possible! I'm the spirit of the ship itself! I should've known what was going on the entire time! I..."

Sleep mode was, as the name implied, when a Klaubatermann decides to rest and is unaware of what's going on on the ship and around them. The ship would still continue to sail like any other ship, just without the Klabautermann's presence at the moment. 

Tears and snot began to stream down Moby's face. "If I had noticed sooner, Thatch wouldn't have died! Ace wouldn't have gone after Teach and wouldn't have been captured! The war wouldn't have happened! Pops...Ace...everyone here would still be alive!"

"You're not at fault!" Oro firmly told him. "The only one at fault is Teach!"

"I still can't face my crew," Moby cried. "I can't face them. I don't deserve to see them,"

"Isn't it painful to be alone up here though?" Oro gently asked as he handed a bottle to Moby. 

"It's a big change from all the liveliness of the numerous crew members," Moby admitted as he wiped away his tears. "The quiet is both nice and strange. I'll grow used to it though,"

"I'm not going to force you to go to them if you're not up to it," Oro chugged down several gulps of alcohol. "But I'm not leaving you here alone. I'll drop by everyday,"

"You don't have to waste your time on me—"

"It's not wasting time if I'm hanging out with a friend," Oro said. "And you won't be getting rid of me that easily,"